MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- There still has been no official announcement on Rex Ryan's future—hey, Jets, we're ready whenever you guys get around to saying something—but all indications now point to him returning in 2014, at a minimum.

Yes, Ryan's Jets haven't made the playoffs for three straight seasons. Yes, a loss here today against the Dolphins would mean two consecutive losing campaigns for the first time since Rich Kotite was the bumbling sheriff in town. Yes, Ryan's 45-40 record in his five years doesn't quite measure up to the Super Bowl bluster he promised when he came swaggering into town.

But forget all that.

Given where the Jets are now, after a year of roster and front-office changes, general manager John Idzik and owner Woody Johnson would be right to keep Ryan around. Here are five reasons why.

1. Geno Smith's development. Look, Smith is a rookie. As inconsistent as he's been, and as poorly as he's sometimes played, he hasn't been all that bad when measured against other NFL QBs when they were rookies. The Jets' players and coaches have said all the right things about Smith's development. It therefore makes sense to allow him to continue to grow with quarterbacks coach David Lee and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Former GM Mike Tanenbaum made that very point this morning. And he's right.

2. Continuity is actually good to have in today's NFL. Every NFL coach is under pressure to win now. It's what fans demand, as well they should. But the composition of an NFL team is never static. The salary cap forces teams to make hard decisions about veteran players, which is why the Jets went through the sort of purge they did this past offseason. But look at the teams that have won the Super Bowl since 2007: Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Ravens. All have head coaches who have been on the job at least five years. The reason? All are only as good as the players they have.

3. This defense has the potential to get better. Ryan's strength is coaching defense. He has talked this year about building a defense out, starting with the defensive line. And the Jets already have a terrific D-line. Now it's time to get some linebackers and safeties. Sure, Dee Milliner has had his issues at corner, but it's easy for Jets fans to forget that not every rookie defensive back steps into this league playing like Darrelle Revis.

4. The Jets will have a favorable cap situation next year. Re-read reason No. 3. Now consider that Santonio Holmes and Mark Sanchez are likely coming off the books, and that Antonio Cromartie is willing to re-do his deal as he enters the final year of his contract. We've already noted that the Jets have a solid nucleus of young defensive talent. But they're also going to have plenty of money to spend on free agents and to re-stock what they can with the draft. Rex Ryan deserves to see this through.

5. The Jets overachieved. I know, I know. The haters are going to say that going 7-9 or 8-8 in a mediocre-to-dreadful AFC is nothing to put on one's résumé. But Ryan easily cleared the very low bar that had been set for him this year. And he never lost the locker room. That matters, even in a league in which it seems like every team stinks.